Top Notch Sleep Applications Offered for Free in 2025: A Must-Try Collection
Struggling to find a good night's rest? Many individuals share the same predicament, ourselves included. In an effort to improve our sleep, we've put several sleep apps to the test and handpicked the nine best free options to help you upgrade your slumber experience.
Sleep apps are mobile applications designed to assist users in tracking and monitoring their sleep patterns. They utilise advanced algorithms, research, user data, and audio recordings to analyse the sleep stages, sleep duration, snoring, sleep talking, and offer tools like white noise and meditations for relaxation.
After thorough testing, these are the top free sleep apps that stand out:
1. ShutEye® - Best Overall
User Rating: 4.8/5 Stars
ShutEye® is an all-in-one sleep tracker designed to help users monitor sleep patterns while providing valuable insights into their sleep health and habits. Its key features include a smart alarm clock that gently wakes you in the morning as you transition into the lightest sleep phase, sound recording to detect snoring and sleep talking, dream recording, and a vast library of sleep sounds, bedtime stories, and guided meditations perfect for a peaceful sleep.
Our testing revealed that ShutEye® excels in providing a comprehensive sleep tracking experience. The app's library boasts over 50+ white noise and sleep music, allowing users to create personalised sound mixes or choose pre-made mixes such as ocean, forest, office, and camping. The sleep tracking feature is straightforward to use, displaying user-friendly insights on the Statistics tab.
2. Sleep Well: Health Tracker - Best for Basic Sleep Tracking
User Rating: 4.7/5 Stars
Sleep Well: Health Tracker is another sleep app worth considering if you're looking for straightforward sleep tracking and the occasional soothing sleep sounds. Like ShutEye®, Sleep Well offers sleep aids such as white noise, calming music, and bedtime stories. In addition, it allows users to track sleep patterns, assess nightly sleep quality, and receive detailed sleep reports.
While not as comprehensive as ShutEye®, Sleep Well features a clean and easy-to-navigate user interface, offering two main features: sleep tracking and sleep sounds. This makes it ideal for anyone seeking a basic sleep app to optimise their sleep cycle.
3. Pillow - Best for Apple Users
User Rating: 4.4/5 Stars (Only available for iOS)
For Apple users, Pillow is a unique sleep tracker app designed to monitor sleep patterns through the use of iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. It offers extensive sleep analysis, including heart rate analysis, sleep trends, audio recordings of snores and sleep talking, and a personalised sleep program with sleep tips.
During testing, we found Pillow to be an enjoyable experience, as it worked seamlessly with our Apple devices and provided detailed sleep analysis. The smart alarm function, mimicking the light sleep phase wake-up method, was a highlight. However, Android users will need to look elsewhere, as Pillow is not available on their platform.
4. SnoreLab - Best for Snore Recording
User Rating: 4.7/5 Stars (Available for iOS and Android)
SnoreLab is an app designed to record and analyze snoring, helping users determine if their snoring is affecting their sleep quality and offering potential solutions. The app employs a sophisticated algorithm to detect and track snoring and provides users with key insights into their snoring patterns and intensity.
The app allowed us to monitor snoring patterns and receive detailed reporting, which proved useful for identifying potential sleep problems. While not directly designed to address sleep apnea, SnoreLab can assist users in determining whether their snoring is a cause for concern.
5. Pzizz - Best for Power Naps and Relaxation
User Rating: 4.8/5 Stars (Available for iOS and Android)
If quick power naps and relaxation techniques are vital for you, Pzizz is an ideal choice. This sleep app specialises in helping users fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed by combining psychoacoustic principles with soothing sounds and narration. Additionally, users can access focus sessions to boost productivity.
During our testing, we appreciated Pzizz's ability to aid us in achieving quick power naps with its selection of personalised soundscapes, narration, and focus sessions. The app may not be the best choice for those seeking extensive sleep tracking or snore recording, but it's an excellent tool for enhancing relaxation.
6. RISE - Best for Managing Sleep Debt and Circadian Rhythm
User Rating: 4.7/5 Stars (Available for iOS and Android)
For users seeking a unique approach to managing sleep debt and circadian rhythm, RISE is an excellent option. This app focuses on helping users reduce sleep debt and optimise their sleep patterns by leveraging internal body clock data. Through this approach, it suggests tailored schedules and offers reminders for healthy habits.
Our testing confirmed that RISE provides an interesting alternative to traditional sleep tracking apps by focusing on sleep debt and circadian rhythm. The app's energy schedule forecast and personalised reminders offered valuable insights for efficient time management.
7. Slumber - Best for Sleep Stories
User Rating: 4.7/5 Stars (Available for iOS and Android)
If you favour soothing narration, Enchanting Sleep Stories, or engaging ASMR, Slumber is a fantastic choice. This app offers a vast collection of bedtime stories, guided meditations, and soothing soundscapes to help unwind and drift off to sleep.
During testing, we found Slumber's sleep stories to be highly relaxing, with the option to adjust narration and soundscape levels for a personalised slumber experience. New stories are added weekly, ensuring a fresh selection of audio content.
8. SleepScore - Best for Science-backed Sleep Insights
User Rating: 4.4/5 Stars (Available for iOS and Android)
For those desiring objective, science-backed sleep insights, SleepScore is a solid choice. Utilising sonar technology, the app provides nightly SleepScores based on the objectiveness of the sleep data analysed through sleep tracking. Alongside providing personalised sleep improvement goals, it offers trend reports for better sleep pattern acknowledgement.
Through testing, we admired SleepScore's ability to objectively evaluate sleep patterns and offer personalised sleep tips for improvement. While the app is highly accurate, the limited access to deep insights and recommendations for the free version may dampen the overall experience.
9. Napper: Baby Sleep Tracker - Best for Infants
User Rating: 4.9/5 Stars (Available for iOS and Android)
For parents seeking help with their infants' sleep patterns, Napper is an excellent solution. This app offers tools for tracking sleep habits, feedings, diaper changes, and more, with a collection of white noise and lullabies to help soothe babies during nap and bedtime.
During testing, we found Napper to be a useful tool for new parents, as it provided visual mapping of sleep cycles, helped track feeding patterns, and suggested baby sleep-related tips. However, be aware that once your child transitions to toddlerhood, the app's functionality may become less relevant.
In conclusion, these top nine free sleep apps offer a variety of features to assist users in improving their sleep patterns. By opting for a sleep app tailored to your unique sleep needs, you can start on the path towards a more restful slumber. If you're looking for a comprehensive sleep tracker that goes above and beyond, we highly recommend ShutEye® for an improved sleep experience.
The diverse range of sleep apps cater to various sleep needs, making it easier for individuals to address specific concerns such as snoring, sleep talking, and sleep apnea. For instance, SnoreLab offers advanced snoring recording and analysis, while SleepScore provides science-backed sleep insights based on sonar technology.
When it comes to sleep tracking, ShutEye® stands out, excelling in offering a comprehensive sleep tracking experience featuring over 50+ white noise options, dream recording, and a smart alarm clock that gently wakes users during their lightest sleep phase. On the other hand, Sleep Well offers a simple, straightforward sleep tracking solution, making it an ideal choice for those seeking basic sleep tracking.
For users looking for a sleep app that focuses on power naps, relaxation, and improved productivity, Pzizz is a fantastic pick. Meanwhile, RISE stands out as an innovative app that optimises sleep patterns by managing sleep debt and improving users' circadian rhythm.
Notably, Pillow is designed for Apple users and offers extensive sleep analysis, including heart rate analysis and personalized sleep tips. However, Android users should look elsewhere, as Pillow is not available on their platform.
Lastly, Napper, a baby sleep tracker, is perfect for new parents, providing tools to track infants' sleep patterns, feedings, diaper changes, and more, alongside a selection of white noise and lullabies.
By selecting a sleep app tailored to their specific needs, individuals can take a step towards better sleep health, improved relaxation, and overall well-being, underpinned by the latest advances in technology and scientific research in health-and-wellness and lifestyle.
